KOTA SAMARAHAN: Utilising villagers could help control illegal cross-border movements of people between Sarawak and Kalimantan.
Kota Samarahan Municipal Council (MPKS) chairman Datuk Peter Minos said villagers living close to the border could provide information about people using the rat trails.
“Border villagers will fully cooperate when asked to. Give them the proper incentives and they will work wonders,” he told New Sarawak Tribune yesterday.
Minos was addressing the issue of rat trails or ratlines along the state’s borders with Kalimantan.
He added that some additional ways of overcoming the issue included law enforcement agencies beefing up their border controls and being fully alert.
“They should act as effectively as possible with no room for carelessness and negligence.
“There is not much that ordinary civilians like us can do except to report to the authorities when we see any illegal immigrants around,” said Minos.
He added that the issue could also pose a threat to the safety and health of the people in view of the Covid-19 epidemic outbreak in both countries.
“They may bring in the disease and infect our people. This also includes the possibility of bringing other diseases that we are unaware of. Some of the foreigners are also criminals.
“So the relevant authorities have a huge part to play to minimise the risk of having these cases by any means necessary.
“Just stop any illegal coming in and close all the illegal entry points along the borders,” he said.
